Cut-off gate for stills.



SOUTHERLAND. OUT-OPI' GATE -FOB STILLS.

Arr-LIGATIoN Hmm un. 2, 1909.

Pnd July 6,1909.

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ROBERT W. SOUTHERLAND, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

CUT-OFF GATE FOR STILLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed January 2, 1909. Serial No. 470,442.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT WV. SOUTHER- LAND, a citizen of the United States oi Amerg ica, and resident oi' Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State oi' Alabama, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in Cut* Oil Gates -for Stills, oi which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cut-oil1 gates for stills and other purposes, and, while I have chosen to herein illustrate and describe the same as employed in such connection, it is to be understood that the invention is in no wise restricted to such particular use.

The present invention has for its objects among others to provide a simple and cheap yet eflicient construction oi gate whereby the product from the still or other receptacle will not sp atter on the person who opens the gate, one that is more easily adjusted, and gravitates to its closed position, means being provided lor stopping it when in the predetermined position i'or making a perfect cut-ofi, and the whole when complete being comp act and the parts so rigid as to avoid liability of breaking.

The gate is so constructed that none oi its parts project laterally or vertically, and in one oit' its lorms it can be easily removed and applied so that it may be shipped separate from the discharge tube from the still or other receptacle.

The invention is applicable to allv sizes ol gates, and the construction is such that the product oi' the still is not allowed to come in contact with the iron.

Other objects and advantages oi' the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel `features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention, in its preferred loi-m, is clearly illustrated, in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals ol reference marked thereon, iorni a part oi' this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion oi' a still showing the present invention as applied to the discharge spout thereoi'. F ig. 2 i

is a substantially central vertical longitudinal section through the discharge end of the spout with the gate in closed position. `Fig. 3 is a horizontal longitudinal section taken substantially centrally through the discharge end olI the spout, the gate being in its closed position. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail showing one form oil construction. permitting oil the removability oiI the gate-supporting yoke.

Like numerals oi' reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a portion oil a still oi any well known or approved l'orm oi' construction, oi' which 2 is the discharge spout, In the present in stance, 3 is a cast iron member having a socket 4 at one end to receive the discharge end oil' the spout, and an orifice 5 in line with the orifice 6 oi the spout, as seen clearly in Fig. 3, which orifices may be lined with brass to prevent contact ol' the product `from the still with the iron oi the said mem ber or casting 8, the lining being omitted in Fig. 2. The outer `l'ace ot this casting or member 3 is curved, as seen at 7 and upon opposite sides is formed with the guiding grooves or recesses S, seen best in iig. 3, and at the sides with laterally projecting lugs 9 which serve to limit the downward as will be readily understood upon reference to Fig. l.

1() is a yoke which is loosely pivotally mounted upon opposite sides oi' the member 3 and l'ree to gravitate to its downward or closed position when not otherwise held or restrained. As seen in Fig. 3, the i'ree ends oi' the opposite arms oi' the yoke are provided with openings 11 which are engaged over the lateral studs or projections 12 on the member or casting 3. This yoke may be permanently held in any suitable manner, or it may be su'fliciently resilient to allow ol' its being sprung so as to readily enga-ge it or disengage it at one or both Vends from its projections. Or, as seen in Fig. 4, one ol these projections may be made removable, as, l'or instance, in the iorm ol a screw 13, seen in said view, engaged in a thickened portion 14 of the casting or member 3, whereby application oi' and removal of the yoke can be easily accomplished by removal oi' the screw.

15 is the gate or valve. lt is mounted to gravitate ireely over the curved outer face i ol' the member 3. lt is provided with guiding lugs 16 at the sides which.coperate with the guiding grooves or recesses 8 on the vmember 3, as will be clearly understood i upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3, although in some cases the guiding lugs and grooves may be omitted without departing from the j spirit ol' the invention. ln the present in movement ol' the yoke soon to be described,

stance, the gate or valve is shown with a projection 17 having an opening 1S therethrough in which may be engaged a rod or other device 19, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig l, for the purpose of raising the gate, but such, as a rule, will probably not be found necessary. The gate is shown as formed at is front end with a projection 20 and below the same at the sides with the forwardly extending projections 2l., and between these projections 2() and 2l the cross bar of the yoke is disposed and capable of slight movement.

22 is a plate or bar which is disposed beneath and parallel with the cross bar of the yoke, and through this plate and through the cross bar of the yoke is threaded a screwthreaded member 23 havin@l suitable head or eye 24 by which it may be easily manipulated, when desired. The inner end of this screw engages the outer face of the gate at a point between the projecting lugs 2() and 21, as seen clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

From the foregoing description when taken in connection. with the annexed drawings, the application and mode of use will be apparent. Briefly stated, it is as follows:- When the gate is closed, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the screw 23 is turned so as to bear against the outer face of the gate and the latter is forced firmly against its seat so as to form a perfect cut-oil", as seen in Fig. 2. lVhen it is desired to remove the contents of the still, the screw 23 is turned in the opposite direction, as will be understood, so as to disengage its endv from the gate, When the yoke with its connected parts is free to be moved vertically so as to disclose the opening 5, being held in its open position by screwing up the screw so as to force the gate against the member As will be noticed upon reference to Figs. 2 and 3, the screw 23 is not in threaded engagement with the cross bar of the yoke, but passes loosely therethrough, it is, however, in threaded engagement with the bar or plate 22, as shown in said views, so that as the screw is screwed in the said plate is forced outward against the cross bar of the yoke, and, by reason of the resiliency or elasticity of the latter, it is forced outward slightly and greater friction and binding ei'ect is produced at the opposite ends of the plate and the gate bound firmly against the curved face of the member 3, the said cross bar and plate thus serving as a nut lock whereby the screw and the parts are locked against accidental retrograde movement. Then the gate is in its closed position, the yoke is stopped by its contact with the lugs 9, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. l.

From the above it will be seen that I have devised a simple and efficient form of cut-ori' gate applicable to stills and other purposes, and, while the structural embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed is what l at the present time consider preferable, it is evident that the same is subject to changes, variations and modifications, in proportions, details etc. l therefore do not intend. to restrict mysell' to the precise construction hereinbefore disclosed, but reserve the right to make such changes, variations and modifications as come properly within the scope of the protection prayed.

What is claimed as new is 1. In a device of the character described, a gravit-ating gate, a pivotally mounted resilient yoke by which the same is loosely carried, upper and lower forwardly projecting lugs on the gate between which the cross bar ofthe yoke is received, a screw mounted in the cross bar of the yoke to engage the gate7 and a plate carried by the screw between the gate and said cross bar and extending substantially the length of the said cross bar and having a bearing against the inner face thereof.

2. In a device of the character described, a gravitating gate, a pivotally mounted resilient yoke by which the same is loosely carried, upper and lower forwardly projecting lugs on the gate between which the cross bar of the yoke isv received, a screw mounted in the cross bar of the yoke to engage the gate, and a plate carried by the screw between the gate and said cross bar and extending substantially the length of the said cross bar and having a bearing against the inner face thereof, said screw being loosely received in said cross bar.

3. In a device of the character described, a gravitating gate, a pivotally mounted resilient yoke by which the same is loosely carried, upper and lower forwardly projecting lugs on the gate between which the cross bar of the yoke is received, a screw mounted in the cross bar of the yoke to engage the gate, and a plate carried by the screw between the gate and said cross bar and extending substantially the length ofthe said cross bar and having a bearing against the inner face thereof, said screw being loosely received in said cross bar, combined with a member having a socket to receive the end of a spout, and a curved outer face over which said gate is movable.

4. A pivotally mounted yoke ol' resilient material, a loosely mounted gravitating valve carried by the yoke, means on the valve limiting its upward movement with relation to the yoke, a plate resting upon the said means, said plate being independent of the cross bar of the yoke, and extending substantially the entire length of said cross bar and having a bearing thereagainst near its ends, and a screw passed loosely through the cross bar and having threaded engagement with said plate, the inner end of the screw being engageable with the valve, whereby the plate is frictionally engaged at its ends with curved inner face and curved guiding lugs at 1 the sides engaging said guiding grooves, said valve having upper and lower forwardly projecting portions between which the cross bar ol' the yoke is received, a plate loosely confined between said projections and movable between the outer face of the valve and the inner face of the cross bar of the yoke, said plate extending substantially to the angles of the yoke and having a bearing against the innerface of the cross bar for substantially its entire length, and screw means passed through the cross bar and engaging said plate, its inner end being engageable with the front face of the valve below its upper projection.

6. A member' having a socket to receive the end of a spout, and lateral studs, and a curved outer face with guiding grooves and lateral lugs, a yoke pivotally mounted upon said studs and engageable with said lugs, a valve movable over the curved face of said member and having an upper forwardly projecting portion and forwardly projecting lugs upon a lower plane and lateral guiding lu 's for engagement with said grooves, a loose y mounted plate interposed between the valve and the cross bar of the yoke and held against displacement by the lower lugs of the valve, and screw means loosely engaging the cross bar of the yoke and threaded in said plate with its inner end engageable with the valve.

Signed by me at Mobile Ala. this 28 day of Dec. 1908.

ROBERT W. SOUTHERLAND.

l/Vitn esses J. H. MoConMioK, V. P. MGVAY. 

